Folding chair



June 24,1930. F. B. nmm ET AL FOLDING crmm' Filed Sept. 2, 1927 2 sheets-Shea 1 Patented June 24, i

FRANK BQHARMANAnniwrnmeirhnnnnsou, or KEITVOSHA, wIscoNsIN, AssIGNons o sI MoNs COMPANY, oravnw YonK', w; COBPOEATYION'OF DELAWARE ipg icaeqn siease taee 2,1927. Serial No. 217,038,

, The object of the presentfinventionis to provide a simple, strong and durable jcon struction of folding chair, andtheinvention consists in the features of 'novelt'yherein described; illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly 'pointed out in of this specifijeation.

Figure 2 is a viewin side elevation showing the chair in partially folded orcollapsed position 7 t a "FigureB is'a back or rear view of the chair after it hasbeen completely folded.

' sectionon line 14ofFigure3,

Figure 5 is a"view,"uporian enlarged scale;

' through a portion" o'fthe chair seat,jthis' view being taken on line j5-5 of Figure '1. Figure 6 is aninyerted'plan yiew,'partially in section, ofone corner'of the chair seat. As shown, the/back members'and'front legs of ourimproved chaircornprise a U- l shapedframe l0,- preferably formedof a single piece of thin steeltubing, the ends of the front leg portions of-this frame 10 being fitted with suitable ferrules 11. Between the sides of the 'rfrarne lO and near its lt'op extends a braceplate 512. ,This plate-12 is preferably formed or thin-sheet metal with its top and bottom edges curled rearwardly I and'inwardlyasat 13 (seeFigure 4'); and

7 these inwardly curled orreinforced top and bottom edges, ofthe brace plate have'pro jections 14 that extend beyond the ends of the body portion of the plateand' enter holes that are formed in the walls of the sides of the U-shaped frame "10.1 When the plate 12' 4? has been placedin positionfbetween the sides of the u shaped frame 10,"with the projections 14 entering the holes in the sides of the' frame 10, the baseplate 12 will be held rigidly in place, asby spot Welding, as at 15, the reinforced ends of the plate 12 to:

i the sides of the frame '10.

If desired, the top: andbottoih iedges of the brace plate12'n1ay be further reinforced by wires 16, as shown at the lower portion 5o of the plate12 (seeldligure fl), infwhich case Figure is'a-yiew in yerticallan aud'imr W i inforcing platesj22 are riveted upon the inthe reinforced edgesl?) of the brace plate vpasses completely through the side bars of the frame 1Q and has its ends headed or upset .asat' 17. Upon this leg-pivot bar 17'is pivotally mounted? therear legs of the chair, spacing 1 ferrules 18 being interposed between such rear legs and the side bars of the frame 10. :As shown, the rear legs 20 are formedof metallic angle bars,={the outer flanges 121 of whichjareperforated to 'receive the pivot-rod 1'7, and,. preferably, re-

ner sides of these flanges 21 and are provided with holes through which the pivot rod 17 passes, The'fianged, "portion 23on each of the rear legsextends inwardly as shown,

and preferably the eXtreme-lower-ends of such flangefportions 23 r are bent angularly,

as at 24 (see Figure l) to afford abroader' bearing where such legs contact'fwith the floor or other surface on which the chair is placed. Between the lower "portions-ofthe rear legs 20fextends the brace bar 25 which is preferably an angle bar, one -me nber' of which is riveted asat 26 to theiinwardlyexten'ding'fianges 23fof the rearlegs.

Between the sidernembers of the franie lO extends" a seat-pivot bar] or rod 30 that serves topi'votally sustain the chair seat.

The ends of the" pivot rod pass-through thejinner walls'of the'side lhe'r'nbers of the frame 10and project-a sufiicient'distance within these tubular members to afford a secure support for'the seat. j Y The upper end of eachof the rear legs of the chairris"provided-With a supplemental plate: that is preferablyof angularflform,

eachsupplemental platehaying a flangeor member'35'that is riveted to the flange 23 of the corresponding rearflegand having a 1 fiange'or member 36 that projects at right angles to themember35 and-is perforatedtoreceivea bar-or rod 10, the endsof which project beyond thelflangef members 36 to enter guide grooves: beneath" the chair seat, as

passed through the flanges 36. The flange member 36 of each of the supplemental plates at the upper end of the rear legs is formed with a slot 43 adapted to admit the rod 40 when the chair is in folded position, as will presently more fully appear.

The seat 50 of our improved chair is formed of thin sheet metal stamped insuch manner that the edges of the seat depend and are turned inwardly, as at 51, thus affording great strength and rigidity to the seat and affording a broad edge therefor which cannot chafe or cut the garments of the user of the chair. As shown, the seat 50' is also formed. with a centrally depressed portion 52, adapted, if so desired, to receive a ad or cushion althou h when the chair 4 and 5.)

" is exposed to the weather this seat or cushion need not be employed.

. Beneath and along the side edges of the seat 50 extend the guides 55. (See Figures- These guides are preferably made as sheet metal channels spot welded in position beneaththe side .edge portion of the" seat; Each of the guides 55 is=formed with a long slot 56 and through these slots pro- .ject the eorrespon ding'ends ofthe rod 40 that extends between the upperportions of the rear legs 20.

One of the objectsof our invention is to insure'that the chair when in foldedposition shall occupy as little space as possible. For this reason, the leg-pivot rods 17 and the seat-pivot rod are arranged centrally with respect to the side members of the frame 10, and the flanged portions 21 of the rear legs 20 are arrangedwso that when the chair is folded, these flanged portions 21 will be between the side members of the frame IOga-nd the chair seat 50, which latter will overlapth e flanged members 23 of the rear legs 20. p V

\Vhen the chair is in extended position as illustrated in Figure 1, it affords an exceedingly firm and comfortable support for the user. hen the chair is to be folded or collapsed, it may be grasped by one hand at the top of the frame 10 and by the other hand at the front of the seat, and these parts will then be moved towards each other as indicatedin Figure2. .As the parts are thus shifted, the ends of the rod 40 will move along the slots 56 of thezguides until the parts are in the position -shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, at which time the seat and rear legs will be entirely between the side members of the frame 10, As the partsapproximate the completely folded position,

the rod 40' will pass into the slots 43, and

these slots 43 are so shaped or positioned with respect to the rod 40 that the walls of the slots will exert a frictional pressure upon the rod 40, tending to slightly deflect 'or for outdoor purposes, it is not desirable to provide it with a cushion but when used indoors or, in positions where it is protected fromthe weather, a cushion for the seat 50 may be employed. We have provided a cushion adapted to be detachably' connected to the chair, and this cushion ispreferably formed of a base plate of indurated fibre or the like,havin a fabric cover 61 folded around the base plate 60 and secured thereto, and padding 62 interposed between the base plate 60 and the cover 61. To enable the cushion to be readily connected to and disconnected from the-chair'seat, we prefer to employ the means next to be described: At each of its corners, the base plate 6Ov of the cushion is formed with a slot having a broadportion 64 and anarrow portion 65, the broad portion 64 being of sufiicient width to admit the head'66-of-the metallic fastener, the stem of which h'fastener is shownas formed of bendable members .67. The depressed portion of the chairseat 50 is preferably perforated for ventilation, and certain of the holes in the depressed-portion of the chairxseat are adapted to coincide with the stem of the fasteners 67 (when these stems are in extended position), when the fasteners have been moved into the narrow portions of the slots formed in the'base plate 60 of the cushion. When a cushion is I to be attached to the chair seat, the fasteners are first moved into the narrow portions 65 of the slots (see Figures 5 and 6). and the cushion is then placed within the depressed portion 52 of the chair seat, the extended stem portions67 of the fasteners being placed through the holes in the chair seat coinciding therewith. The. stems 67 of the fasteners arethen bent (as shown in Figure 5) so as to securely retain the cushion in position; for use. I I I While we have described whatweregard as the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that the precise details may be varied without departing" from the scope of the invention, and that features thereof may be used without its adoption as an entirety; V

What we claim asour invention is:

-1. Afolding chair embodying a 'U-shaped metallicframe comprising, the back memher and front legs of the chair and a sheet metal brace plateextendingbetween the side members of said frame, said brace plate metallic frame comprising the back member and front legs of the chair, a seat-pivot rod extending between and having'its endsembedded in the side members of said frame,

a metallic seat having depending flanges pivotally sustained by said rod toffold between said side members, a leg-pivot rod extending between and, secured tosaid side beingdisposed at the front edges of said side flanges and serving to engage portions of the seat when in folded position, thereby "members at a distance below said seat, and

angle iron rear legs including side flanges and crosswise extending flanges mounted on said last-mentioned rod and 'having'their upper ends slidably, connected to the side flan es of said seat said rear le 's .bein

adapted to extend between said side members and the seat when the seat is in folded position, and the crosswise extending flanges to limit folding movementof said seat.

3. A folding chair comprising .a frame forming the back member'and the front legsof the chair, 'a seat formedof sheet metal 7 and having dependingperipheral flanges inte ral therewith,- a seat-pivot rod extending between the side members of said frame and through the depending side flanges of said to the side members of said frame at a-disseat,forwardly and rearwardly extending,

outwardly facing, channel shaped, slotted.

guide members, secured to the'bottom of said seat inwardly of the depending side flanges thereof, and rear legs pivotally: connected tance belowthe seat, and having their upguide members, said depending side flanges serving to conceal said guide members and the sliding connection of said leg members thereto. f

,4. 'A folding chair comprising a frame forming the back member and front legs of" 1 the chair, 'a seat formed of sheet metal and of said frame, guides carried by said seat,

having depending flanges integral therewith at its sides and front, means pivotally-connecting said seat flanges to the side members i adjacent the bottom thereof and located inside of'said depending side flanges of the 'seat,'and rear legs 'pivotally connected to the side members of said frame and having their upper ends slidably connected to said guides, said depending side flanges serving to conceal said guldes and the connections therewith of SZLlClIGiLI legs.

5. A folding" chair comprising a framemade of bent metal tubingand forming the back member and front legs of the chair, a seat-pivotrod and a leg-pivotrod extending between the side members of said frame,

a seat pivotally sustained by said seatpivot rod, said seat being formed-of sheet n etal and having rebent depending side flanges tlHOuglLuWhlCh said seat-plvotprod passes,

guides adjacent the sides of the seat, located between the bottom thereof and the rebent portion 1;of "the adjacent side flanges, rear; I legs formed ofanglebars hav ng s de ,fl anges; adaptedto extend between the leg members of the {frame and the seat: when the latter. is

in folded position, supplemental angle" plates secured to {the upper ends, of said rear I legs, a rode'xtending through the upper ends of'fsa'id supplemental. plates :and; into: the

guides beneath the" seat, said rod being effective to 'slidably connect :the upper ends of,

said rear legs with said guide members, and: said supplementalplates being formed with, slotted portions 1' to receive and -fric'tionally. engage "said seat pivot' rod when the parts are in folded position. v U '7 6,,Al folding-chair comprising a v formingthe back member and front legs frame ofthe chair, a sheet metal seat having integral, depending front and side flanges, forwardly and rearwardly extending guide members secured to said seat and located on the bottom thereofginside of said side flanges, means extending through said depending side flanges and, guide members adjacent the rear end of the latter and into engage J 'ment with said frontnlegs, for pivotally 'mounting the seat on said frame, and rear legs pivotallyconnectedto said frontlegs at a distance below the pivotal connections betweensaid seat and front legs, and slidably connected inwardly of said side flanges to said guide'members. w i

7 .A folding chair comprising a frameper ends slidably connected to said slotted "forming the back member and front legs A flanges, a pivot rod. extending between said front legs and through said side flanges for v pivotally'mounting said seat on said back legs, a pair of slotted guide'memberscarried by said seat on the bottom thereof and respectively located inside of and adjacent said sideflflanges', angle iron rear legs pivotally' connected to said front legs below said seat pivot rodgand each having a crosswise extending front flange overlapping a side portion'of the seat, and aside flange extending rearwardly from theoutside edge of said front: flange so as to fit between the sides ofsaid seat, and the front legs when the chair isfolded, and means for slidably connecting said rear" legs to said slotted guide comprising supplementing angle plates having crosswise extending flanges secured to the CI'OSSWlSe extendmg flanges of said rear legs-and rearwardly extending flangesdisposed inwardly of said guides,- and a part projecting outwardly from said inwardly disposed supplemental plate flanges and slidably fitting in'the slot of said slotted guide.

8. A folding chair comprising a frame forming the back member and the front legs of the chair, a seatformed of sheet metal and having depending peripheral flanges "integral therewith, a seat-pivot rod extending between the side members of said frame and through the depending side flanges of said seat, forwardly and rearwardly extend- 'ing, outwardlyrfacing, channel 'shap'ed, slotted guide members, secured in position beneath the seat and located inwardly of the depending flanges, and rear legs pivotally connected to the side members of said frame at a distance below the seat and having their upper ends slidably connected to said slotted guide members, said depending side flanges serving to conceal said guide members and the sliding connection of said leg'members thereto.

e FRANK B. HARMAN.

WILLIAM ANDERSON. 

